


Confessions

by professorplum221



Category: The First Law - Joe Abercrombie
Genre: Choking, F/M, Face Slapping, Married Couple, Oral Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:00:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29803971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professorplum221/pseuds/professorplum221
Summary: Arch Lector Glokta enlists his wife's assistance with his work
Relationships: Sand dan Glokta/Ardee West
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> This is still 99% based on the First Law trilogy alone and none of the later books, because I haven't read them yet! It does include one _tiny_ detail from later on—the name of Ardee's child—because I asked my partner who's ahead of me in reading to tell me, purely so that I could get it right in one line of dialogue. Other than that, zero spoilers for later stuff because I don't know any, and shout-out to my partner for always helping me with my extremely weird and niche fanfiction.

"Ardee, I wonder if you might be able to do me a favour today," Sand dan Glokta said to his wife over the breakfast table one morning.

"Depends on what it is," Ardee replied. She sipped a cup of tea, and frowned down at an open book on the table she had been idly reading.

"Right. Well, I have a relatively simple routine interrogation to carry out, but Practical Pike is ill. There _are_ other Practicals I could use, but . . ."

Ardee looked up from the book, a flash of understanding in her eyes. "You don't trust them. Not after what happened with the last two."

"Exactly. And when we were so . . . unfortunately bereaved of the last two, you showed a stunning aptitude for the job yourself."

"You want me to come to work with you today? To substitute for Pike?"

"I want you to consider it. If you don't object to leaving Savine with the servants for a while. And . . ."

"And what?" She leaned forward across the table, her book and beverage apparently completely forgotten.

Glokta hesitated, unprepared for how quick she had been to agree to his carefully worded proposal. _She's almost too eager. I suppose she must get bored sometimes, at home taking care of the baby while I'm at work. Well, this will certainly provide some manner of entertainment. But I should see what I can do about arranging some more conventionally enjoyable ways for her to spend her time as well . . ._

"It's just that I'll have to ask you to do whatever I say while we're there. I doubt it will take very much to get a confession out of this one, but still—it might not be pleasant."

"Less pleasant than my last experience assisting the inquisition? I seem to recall that one involving a jaunt through the sewers I'd really rather forget." _She also hacked into a man's shoulder with a cleaver and took a fist to the face for her troubles, but the sewers are her primary objection? She really is perfect for the job._

He smiled. "What, you didn't have a nice time on our romantic outing around the city? And here I was thinking it had played an instrumental role in convincing you to marry me."

"You can blame _that_ particular decision on your good looks alone," Ardee quipped in return. "And I'd be happy to help. I think I can handle it."

"Good. I do expect you can."

* * *

The dark uniform of a Practical, designed to keep them mysterious and indistinguishable from one another, still somehow managed to appear flattering on Ardee. Her facial features were mostly concealed beneath the mask, but her still-visible eyes had a certain flare to them that was hard to ignore, and the black robe couldn't quite hide all the curves of her figure. _Besides, there's something alluring about knowing what she looks like underneath, when no one else would be able to guess._

_But I should be focusing on my work at the moment._ "So," Glokta said. "Have you given any thought to signing the confession I showed you yesterday?"

"No!" the manacled prisoner before him spat back. "I won't do it! I haven't done anything wrong, I told you!"

"A shame. Perhaps you could find a way to persuade him, Practical . . . Glokta?"

He hadn't thought about how he would refer to her until that moment. It felt strange to address her by his own name, but after all, she _had_ taken it as her name too.

As Ardee removed one of her black gloves, the prisoner's eyes darted between the two of them. _No doubt he's surprised by the name, and wondering how we're related. He'd probably guess that she's a sister or a cousin before considering the possibility that a beautiful woman like her would marry a man like me._

At any rate, he didn't have long to consider it before the back of Ardee's hand struck him across the face.

"She’s my wife," Glokta answered the unasked question with a smile, "in case you were wondering."

"Your—your wife?" the prisoner repeated in disbelief, his eyes wide with fear.

_Does he imagine that she's just as much a hostage as he is, forced to do terrible things by her domineering husband? Unfortunate for him, but she actually seems quite happy to be here._

"Please," the man said with an imploring gaze at Ardee, "ask your husband to show mercy. I'm innocent!"

Ardee turned to Glokta, a slight arch in one of her eyebrows. "He says he's innocent, dear, and requests mercy."

"Does he? Hit him again."

"No!" The man's plea was futile, Ardee's hand already connecting with his cheek the instant she was given the order. _She's really quite good at this._

"Reconsidering yet?" Glokta asked.

"N-no! I won't confess to something I didn't do!" the prisoner insisted, despite the trembling in his voice. "No matter what else you make your wife do to me!"

Glokta furrowed his eyebrows, affecting an expression of intense concentration. "You raise an excellent question. I was just wondering what else I should have my wife do to you. I have a wide assortment of tools I would usually use at this juncture, but she seems to be doing so well with just her hands that I think I'd rather not stop her. Why fix what isn't broken? Practical Glokta?"

"Yes, dear?" Ardee slid the glove off her other hand and flexed her fingers. _How is it that I managed to land the perfect woman?_

"I think our prisoner has been given far too many privileges that he's taking for granted. For instance, his ability to breathe."

Ardee needed no further instruction. She closed her hands around the man's throat. He coughed and spluttered, struggling for air. Glokta watched with enamoured awe.

_Should I tell her to stop? Would she keep going if I didn't? I think she really might. I should stop her before too long—we do need him to stay conscious. But maybe just a moment more . . .  
_

* * *

"Should I address you as Practical West next time?" Glokta suggested as he closed and locked the door on his way out of the cell, the signed confession in his pocket. "It might cause some confusion, calling you by my own name."

"Not a chance," Ardee replied. She waited for him to lead the way down the hall past several other closed doors, keeping her steps short to match his. "Your name _is_ my name now, and I like it. And you liked that too, didn't you? All of it."

"I appreciated your help, yes. You did well."

"That's not what I meant. You liked it a lot more than that. I could tell."

"I'm not sure what you do mean, then."

"Yes you are." Ardee whirled to face him, blocking his passage toward the stairwell with a hand on the wall.

"Well, that's hardly fair, when you know I can't— _oh_."

She had reached between his legs with her other hand, apparently searching for evidence to support her theory—and she had certainly found it. She reacted with a smug and knowing look.

Glokta leaned his back against the cold stone wall, his grip on his cane slackening, as Ardee lifted his robe and slid a hand underneath. She stroked him with a practiced vigor, gradually growing in firmness and intensity. He closed his eyes.

Then, just as abruptly as she had started, Ardee withdrew her hand completely.

"Don't stop!" Glokta gasped, his eyes snapping open as his cock throbbed in protest.

Even with the mask covering most of her face, Glokta could recognize the deviousness of Ardee's expression. "Admit you enjoyed it, then. Watching me torture that man on your orders—that's what made you this hard." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Confess."

"Yes! Yes, that's all true. I could barely stand to just watch—I wanted to fuck you right there in front of him. I—"

Her demands met, Ardee dropped to her knees, tore off her mask, and turned the rest of her husband's frantic confession into a wordless moan.

Glokta did worry, for a moment, about the possibility of someone else rounding the corner unexpectedly, and catching the two of them in such an obviously compromising position. Then a wave of relaxation crashed over him as he remembered that he was the Arch Lector, and could essentially do whatever he liked. _So what if I choose to have a Practical pleasure me in the corridor? She's my Practical, and it's my corridor, and my business. Who is anyone else to judge me for it? I'm the one who judges them._

Alongside the attentions of Ardee's tongue, it was that thought that carried him to climax.

Ardee stood up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before replacing the mask on her face. She took a moment to adjust and smooth down her husband's robes for him as he remained motionless against the wall, catching his breath. _The second man whose breathing she's interfered with in less than an hour—although I imagine it was a lot more enjoyable for me than it was for him._

"Shall we go home?" Ardee asked.

Glokta turned his gaze to their next destination with a beleaguered sigh. "Quite the disappointing contrast, to go straight from _that_ to the embarrassing ordeal of climbing the stairs." _I could consider having the interrogation cells moved to the main floor along with my office, I suppose, but they lose a certain intimidation factor if they're not underground. Dealing with stairs on occasion might simply be inevitable._

Ardee offered him her arm for support. "We'll take them as slowly as you need to."


End file.
